Big Time Rocque Star
by BTR-TeamCarlos
Summary: Carlos falls hard for Gustavo's beautiful niece, Star, after Gustavo literally tells them not to fall for her; or they'll be fired. Fortunately, she's fallen for him too. But Carlos, doesn't know that. How will they turn out?
1. Big Time Beauty

Big Time Rocque Star

**Big Time Beauty-**

*Palm Woods*

"Aww!" I heard the guys say when I hit the surface of the pool. I was attempting to break the underwater fart record again. "You got the camera wet again!"

I punched the air, disappointed that I spent almost 30 minutes eating 7 cans of beans and almost drowning underwater.

"That's not the only thing you got wet!" We heard Bitters behind us. He was soaked and the new laptop he was holding was soaked too. We all got ready to hear his next set of complaints. "I'm sure Gustavo would be willing to pay for my, now, damaged laptop."

"Sorry, Mr. Bitters." We said in unison as we watched Bitters stomp into the Palm Woods lobby.

Kendall sighed and probably spoke for all of us when he said that we've got to stop breaking stuff. I got out of the pool and dried myself. My phone started ringing and the caller ID was Kelly, I hesitated to answer by looking at the guys since it was our day off. Logan brushed it off and gave me the signal to just answer it. I picked up the phone from the lounger it was on and flipped it open to answer it.

"Carlos, get the guys over here. Gustavo's got some things to go over with you." Kelly always thought of nicer things to say that really meant that Gustavo's got some more orders and we should get ready to get our heads blown off.

"Okay, we'll see you there." I said flipping my phone closed. "Looks like Gustavo wants us at the studio!"

Kendall, James, and Logan slouched altogether and groaned. "But it's our day off!" James whined.

I shrugged and told them it sounded important. We all seemed to swallow our complaints and dragged ourselves to Rocque Records.

*Rocque Records*

"Race you to Gustavo's office!" James screamed as he pushed me into the wall.

"Ooh! I'm gonna get you James!" I yelled as I chased after him.

We ran into wall after wall, door after door. Finally reaching Gustavo's office, I jumped but James beat me and opened the door, leaving me unable to stop myself. I tripped and smashed into one of Gustavo's platinum records.

"I'm okay!" I said, still dizzy from my fall.

Within seconds the studio was full of Gustavo's screams. Kelly quickly gave Gustavo bottled water and patted his back. "Just tell them why they're here, so they can go, and nothing else can be broken."

"DOGS! My niece is going to be recording with us. She'll be here in a few minutes. While she's here, I don't want any of you boys trying to pull anything with her. I'm warning you, she's beautiful."

The four of us laughed like we had just heard the funniest joke ever. How could any relative of Gustavo's be "beautiful"?

"I'm SERIOUS! My last few groups fell hard for her and ended up falling apart. If you monkey dogs try anything… YOU'RE FIRED! She'll be staying at the Palm Woods, so you'll have time to get to know each other. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT, FALL FOR HER!"

"Yeah, sure, you got it!"

"No problem."

"For sure."

"Yup!"

All our responses were followed by more of our hysterical laughters. We just couldn't believe why Gustavo was making such a big deal out of it. She probably looked, smelled, and sounded like an ogre. No offense to Gustavo and all.

As we were starting to relax, someone knocked on the door. "Uncle Goose?" a voice said behind it. It sounded nothing like an ogre-ish voice like we'd expected.

Kelly opened the door revealing, what Gustavo was saying, a beautiful girl. We all watched as she walked in and greeted Gustavo with a hug and small talk. She had wavy brown hair, my height, a pretty face, and a cute voice. Her skin looked soft too.

"Boys, this is Star. I expect you guys to work well with her and make her feel at home at the Palm Woods." Gustavo eyed us like a guard.

"You guys are Big Time Rush?" she said pointing at us.

We all seemed to be Star struck. She was beautiful, Gustavo wasn't kidding.

James stepped up, flipped his hair, gave her one of his smiles that he usually used to get a girl's attention and said "Yes we are, and I'm James."

Kendall and Logan introduced themselves after James.

She looked at me and smiled. She was so pretty I forgot to smile back. I guess she took it the wrong way, because she frowned after.

"What's your name?" she turned away from the guys to face me.

It startled me because it felt like she was singling me out. "I'm… I'm…" Geez, she was so hot.

"That's Carlos." Gustavo said finishing me off. "He's the goof ball… actually… they're all goof balls. James just loves himself, Logan's more of a nerd, and Kendall's just a stubborn hockey head."

She smiled and rolled her eyes, "Uncle Goose, how come you never have anything nice to say about your bands?"

"BECAUSE THEY'RE HORRIBLE, AND I HATE THEM!" Gustavo was about to start another one of his rampages until Star answered him back.

"Then why do you even bother writing songs for them?"

Gustavo quit yelling and had to think of an answer, after a while, he gave up and crossed his arms. It was pretty funny the way she talked to him like that. It kind of reminded me of us.

"Kelly, show Star the lyric sheets for the songs she'll be recording with us."

Before walking out the door with Kelly, she gave Gustavo another hug and said bye to each of us. When she got to me, she smiled and said "See you later." Again, I was too shocked to say anything and her smile disappeared as she just went ahead and walked through the door.

"CARLOS!" Gustavo screamed just as soon as the door was closed. "Pull yourself together! There is no way she'll fall for you."

"Yeah, she's not even all that pretty anyway." James said which was really weird because he was usually the one who had the advantage at whatever girl he saw.

"Don't worry Gustavo, I've got Jo. No need to tell me twice." Kendall said leaning on James' shoulder.

Logan looked at all of us and said "Guys, I think you'll know what'll happen if Camille finds out I'm 'crushing' on a new girl. So, I'd rather not risk my chances."

Gustavo looked backed at me and gave me one of his death defying stares. "You got it? Do NOT, fall for her." I nodded but I couldn't help not thinking about her.

I just had to open my mouth, "But Gustavo, she's so pretty!"

Logan nudged me and gave me a look that said don't even try. Gustavo put his fingers on his temples and paced around the room.

"Boys, you can be friends with her, best friends, I don't care. Just don't fall for her. I don't need you dogs fighting over her and end up breaking up."

Kendall, James and Logan seemed to be okay with it. So I just nodded once and lost myself in one of my fantasies that sometimes involved anything hockey, crazy, food, and this time… stars.


	2. Big Time Inspiration

**Big Time Inspiration-**

Chapter 2

*Apartment 2J*

How long have I been in here? I've been laying in the swirly slide for about 20 minutes now. Day off today, but I have nothing to do. Told the guys I wasn't feeling well. I closed and thought about yesterday. How could I be so stupid? I opened my eyes, exposing my sight to the yellow glow from the slide against my skin. I took out a marker and started drawing stars on the slide. I was at about 7 when I heard someone knocking. I licked my fingers and smeared the stars clean.

The guys were out at the pool and Katie and Mrs. Knight went to San Diego again, so I guess I had to answer the door. Sliding down, I got up and dragged my feet.

The knocking got louder. "I'm coming!" I yelled at the door.

I twisted the doorknob and pulled the door open. My jaw dropped and my eyes grew like they were through a magnifying glass. It was Star and she was wearing a white sundress with her hair curled. She was so hot!

"Hi, the guys told me you weren't feeling well. I brought some fruits for you." She raised the picnic basket she was holding, that I haven't noticed until now.

Again, I had nothing to say and she had an awkward look on her face. I don't even think I was blinking. Damn, what's wrong with me?

"Can I come in? I just wanted to check up on you."

I stepped aside and let her enter. She walked carefully, she was so light on her feet. Her clothes were so pretty. It made me look at what I was wearing: A stained blue and green baseball t-shirt, brown shorts, and converse. Good job Carlos, so suave.

"You can put the basket on the table." I said, while closing the door.

She turned around quick and started laughing, "Oh finally, a sentence!" She choked out in between her gasps for air.

"Is it really that funny?" I started to smile too. She was so cute, the way she had her arms around her stomach while laughing.

"Oh, now you're smiling?"

"What?" I asked, scratching my head.

"Sorry. But ever since we met, you barely smiled or said a full sentence to me. I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with me. The other option was maybe you were just weird." She laughed again.

"Yeah, I'm just weird. I used to think toys would come alive every time we left the apartment."

"That's cute."

Wait what? Did she just say I was cute? My laughter went back to a confused look; she noticed.

"You're not really sick, are you?"

"No. I just wanted to be alone."

"Mind if I ask you something?"

I nodded. What could she possibly ask me, though?

"Could you sing your part in A Shot in the Dark? I know it's weird but I really like your voice."

"Really? You like my voice?" I couldn't help but walk closer. Maybe a little too close, because she stepped back.

"Mhm…so can you?"

I was more than happy to sing for her. Ecstatic. She was hot, and she wanted to hear me sing. I put on a grin and get on top of the counter.

_I promise you I'm gonna be there,  
I wanna be there,  
No matter what happens,  
No matter how tragic…_

I sang with my arms suspended in the air. Then I realized something. My part wasn't that long. Why'd she make me sing those lines?

"Bravo!" She clasped her hands. "I know you're probably thinking why I wanted you to sing those lines, they're really short."

Wow, I bet she's psychic!

"Actually," she continued, "I like your longer parts too. I just chose this one because I thought it was really sweet. The promise in the lyrics… I can relate to it."

I got off the counter and waited for her to finish her thoughts. She looked troubled. Her eyes were focused, but clearly, her mind wasn't.

"Star?" I finally asked. She came back, her face turned a shade of red.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about Dak. There were so many promises he couldn't keep. Things he never really meant."

"Zevon? You dated Dak Zevon?" It was hard for me to believe. Mostly because I knew I couldn't keep up with Dak. "What happened?"

"His head got too big. Felt like he was the world. So he took our relationship for granted. After we split, I lost my inspiration for singing and writing. But when I heard your voice and some of the lyrics from the demos my uncle showed me, it was like they all shot back at me. You inspire me Carlos."

Score! Beat that, Dak! I inspire her. Best news I've heard all day.

"I don't know how. Yeah, it's weird. I'm weird." She started laughing a little. Maybe because what she was saying wasn't really making any sense.

Recovering herself, she leaned over and hugged me. She smelled like oranges. I almost forgot to hug her; Luckily I did. Having her in my arms made me so happy, I swear I almost cried. I looked up to the ceiling and thanked the being upstairs for this perfect moment.

"Carlos," she spoke again, "I want you to be one of my best friends here. Jo and Camille are really nice. But it'd be cool to have a guy friend on the side. Is that okay with you?"

I smiled and nodded ecstatically, "Of course!"

"Well… I got to go. Uncle wants me at the studio really soon. He wants me to go over some of your guys' harmonies and see if he could blend my voice in there."

She gave me a high-five, which I happened to miss. She walked out of the room and down the hall giggling.

As soon as I was sure she was far enough, I closed the door and faced the emptiness of the MTV crib-like apartment. I smiled and brought my fists down rapidly as I screamed and yelled. "Yeeah! Woo!"

I've never had a girlfriend before, but I've liked a lot of girls. This one feels different. Is it normal? I shook it off and ran to the pool to meet up with the guys.


	3. Can't Do it huh? Watch me  Ch 3

**Can't Do it huh? Watch me. –**

Chapter 3

"Three"

"Nine"

"No… she's a seven."

"You're wrong, she's a five."

The guys and I were sitting at the tables near the pool. We were ranking the girls who passed by on a scale of 1-10. Participation, on my part, was weak. I was too busy drinking my slushy.

I haven't told the guys yet about what happened in the apartment. Waiting for the right time got me thirsty.

"Hey uh, Carlos. I thought you didn't feel so good. You're chugging that thing down like crazy." James was talking to me, but he was staring at the girls.

I guess this was the right time.

I ignored James and finished the rest of my drink before talking to them. "What does it mean when someone dubs you as their inspiration?" I asked.

James, Logan, and Kendall disconnected their attention from the girls and turned towards me.

Logan was the one to speak first, "Well, it means they're into you and you're what drives them to be successful."

Then Kendall, "Or, they want be just like you."

Then James, "They love your face, hair, and everything else about you." He took out a mirror and started fixing his hair and smiling at himself.

They all looked at each other, then at me. All three of them opened their mouths to ask me the same question, "Who said you were their inspiration?"

"Star," I waited for whatever they were gonna yell at me, but when I looked, they all looked like they were trying to hold in their laughter. I slouched and gave them a pout face while I crossed my arms, "come on guys, I'm serious!"

"Wait a minute, is that the only reason why she was looking for you?" Logan asked.

"Not really, she kind of brought some fruits to go and check up on me, apparently when you guys told her I wasn't in the mood, she probably thought I was super sick or something."

"Do you guys think she has a thing for Carlos? Wow, she'll be your first real girlfriend, nice!" James reached over and gave me a high five.

Kendall jumped in the conversation and acted like the leader type he was. "Okay guys, we need to think about reality first. Gustavo doesn't want us involved with her. Carlos, its fine you're her inspiration and all, but you gotta shoot her down if she tries to go somewhere in the relationship."

Logan nodded, and then sighed. "He's right, if we all don't lose our jobs, the other option would be that Gustavo replaces you."

"Yeah, this wouldn't be Big Time Rush anymore!" James was in on it too, when just a second ago, he was congratulating me.

"But that's mean. I like her and I don't want to lie to her." Frustrated, I leaned forward and put my head in my hands.

"Sorry Carlos. It's just not worth it. Think about the band, I know it's hard but you gotta think smarter." Think smarter, was he serious?

"Maybe you're just thinking about yourself!" I snapped at him. He was really ticking me off.

Kendall stood up and asked what I was talking about. His pale hands were clenched into fists. If he wanted a fight I'd give it to him. The other two were just watching to see what would happen next. They weren't sure what to do yet, but both of them had their hands on their arm rests, ready to get up. I stood up and walked over to where Kendall was. Even though he was taller, I stepped close enough to show him that I wasn't afraid to fight.

"I'm tired of everything thinking that I can't think for myself. You probably just don't want to leave Jo behind. You're the selfish one."

"You know that's not true. I'm just looking out for the band. There's other girls Carlos, what about the Jennifers?"

I didn't tell him to fuck off and that I didn't need his stupid advice in my personal life. Already heated up, I stepped forward and shoved him. Kendall and I both tried to go for punches but James and Logan were already up and holding us back.

I freed myself from Logan's grasp and pointed at Kendall. "Screw you!" I yelled at him.

"Carlos, come on! You can't do this!" Kendall also freed himself from James, but we didn't attempt another punch at each other.

I gave him a stern look and said nothing more. I turned around and started walking back towards the apartment, glancing over at James and Logan, I saw that they were speechless.

I lay in bed tossing and turning that night. I asked myself it was really worth it. That fight with Kendall was pretty much my fault. But then again, it wasn't fair for them and Gustavo to try and make me lie to Star. I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. All three guys were snoring, so the apartment wasn't super quiet.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I'm not going to give her up, go ahead and fire me, Gustavo. I'm not going to lie to her, go ahead and replace me. I'm not going to shoot her down, go ahead and hate me, Kendall. I'm going to tell her how I feel – once she gets over Dak.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 –**

From here until the end of the story, I'm going to just title the chapters with numbers. It takes too much time for me to think of a title. This chapter is kind of long, hope you like it guys(: Remember to please leave a review after reading, and let me know how I'm doing! I want to know if you guys are liking this stuff you know. Thanks! (:

*BTR-TeamCarlos (Charlene)

Rehearsing at the studio was awkward today. The guys knew I liked Star, and I prayed that they wouldn't let Gustavo know. As we sang in the booth, I kept my eyes on the lyric sheets to avoid looking at her. She sat next to Gustavo while listening to us. I managed to steal a few glances every now and then. She was really enjoying our music, sometimes I saw her singing along with us.

Kendall and I still weren't at ease. We stood as far away from each other as possible. James and Logan tried their hardest to get us talking again, but it was hard for them to get through to us without Gustavo noticing. I was glad that Gustavo was as intimidating as he was. It really came in handy. Of course, I never thought I'd enjoy Gustavo's terrifying stares, but today, I did.

I accidently made eye contact with Star and her smile threw me off track. I stopped singing and smiled back at her. I felt the heat rise up as she waved at me. My chest was trying to tell me something. It felt like my heart wanted to jump out and slap me for being too shy to wave back.

"Carlos!" Gustavo yelled through the mic. I apparently stopped singing for 30 seconds and I ended up missing my part.

Gustavo's booming voice was about to cause my eardrums to explode so I took off my headset and walked out of the booth. The guys came along with me.

"You boys realize that these demos do mean something, right?" Gustavo had his fingers pressed against his temples.

"Yes, yes we do. And it would be stupid of us to throw it all away over something small that could end up being a huge mistake." Kendall was kissing up again, and I knew that last remark was towards me. That sorry ass. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"Good. Now Carlos, you need to FOCUS! Like Kendall her. Always on top of things… well, mostly." I think Gustavo sort of knew what was going on, but I didn't want to hear his bull right now, so I interrupted him in the middle of his 'Be Just Like Kendall' speech.

"I kind of don't feel so good. Can I go to the restroom?" I pretended to fake vomit. And I'm glad it worked cause Gustavo flinched and dismissed me.

I walked out of the studio and into the hallways of the infamous Rocque Records. I passed by the restrooms and headed through the front doors. Forget those guys. I'm going for a walk. I stepped from the building and into the busy LA district.

Clouds stuffed the sky. It looked like dirty cotton candy was overflowing the world. I started walking towards the Palm Woods. I knew it was going to be an extremely long walk, but I wanted to take a bite out of the world. I wanted to step out of my 'too good to be true' boy band life, and into the world that was always here, but was so absent in a way.

Cars zoomed through the streets, some overtaking others, and some patiently driving behind the really slow ones. I was done driving behind Kendall. I was ready to show him and the others that I could stand away from them and be my own person. I can think for myself. And right now, I think the demos didn't matter as much as they used too. They still meant a whole lot, but their not my life anymore.

I started having flashbacks of the day we got Hollywood fever. The Jennifers told me that if I wanted to be heard, then I'd have to be a piranha. But I picked a tiger shark. The feeling of having it all at my fingertips was coming back. But I didn't want to become too self-centered. I just needed to get it through that I may be a wreck sometimes, but I can lookout for myself. I can be an independent person. I started to wonder if Star thought about me like they did. I shook the thought off – if she did, then she wouldn't have admired me so much. But is that all she thinks of me? Just an inspiration? Just as a best friend?

Just as soon as I stepped on the grass at the nearby park, it was as if some paparazzi took a gigantic camera and snapped a picture of the world – lightning made its mark every minute. The dirty cotton candy in the sky started to dissolve and I was soaked within seconds. Kids ran to their parents or hid under some lunch booths. I didn't mind getting wet, so I just kept on walking through the park.

I was walking at a slow pace. I realized I was only 2 blocks away from the studio when Kelly started calling my cell phone. I ignored it. I wanted to finish my bite. I was still busy taking in the world. Stopping in the middle of my tracks, I looked up at the rain and opened my mouth. About the same time that a few drops fell on my tongue, the rain got harder and the wind got angrier. The rain was disgusting, by the way. It tasted like sewage.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked a little faster. Faster and faster. I started running and I didn't know why, but I liked it and it felt food. Running was probably a stupid thing to do cause I ended up slipping. I let out a groan. My elbow, arm, and palm were scraped and bleeding.

"Damn." I said to myself. I tried rubbing my blood off with my good hands but it was no good. It stung from the left over rubble that I forgot to brush off. I kept my arms at my sides and tried to refrain from randomly running again. I was back on the main street.

The cars seemed faster in the pouring rain. The drops of water was only increasing my pain in my arm. Something started to scratch my throat and it got me couching like crazy. I sneezed a couple of times too. Great, I caught a cold, and I still had a long way to walk.

A car slowed down next to me but I couldn't see who was inside. The rain made the person inside look disheveled. The driver rolled down the window as I walked closer.

"What happened and why'd you leave?" It was Star and she looked really worried.

"I needed air." My nose was dripping and I sounded horrible.

"Hey, I'm on my way back to the Palm Woods, I'll give you a lift. If you're worrying if Gustavo and the guys will be there, they won't. My uncle made them work harder after he found out you ditched us. And for a little heads up, the guys aren't happy."

"Thanks." I got in the car and immediately smelled her girly aroma.

She gasped when she saw my arm and hands. "What happened?"

I told her what happened to my arm, and why I left. But I still couldn't tell her how I felt. I wanted too, but I couldn't.

"Tell you what, when we get to the apartment, you can go clean up and I'll fix up your arm and if you want, you can have dinner with me."

I jumped at her offer. The rest of the ride was quiet. Mostly because I couldn't stop smiling. I liked her a lot and I was starting to get the feeling that she had a little something in her heart for me. But I couldn't jump to conclusions. Dak was our friend, and I didn't really want to try anything until I was sure they were over.

I cleaned my wounds and took a quick shower. Finally, I could pick out some good clothes before meeting up with Star. I decided to wear what I wore when we sang at Rocktober Fest. I decided not to wear the vest though. I didn't want her thinking I was trying something with her. The guys weren't home yet, and I hoped they didn't come back for another hour or two. I knew they were going to be mad and I didn't want it to mess up my dinner with Star.

I knocked on her door. Feeling nervous, I was sweating like crazy. I could smell the food from the hallway, it smelled fantastic. She opened the door beaming at me. I saw that she also changed her outfit – and that she looked gorgeous! Letting me in, I realized that Bitters gave her one of the nicer looking rooms. It was better than what we had to start off with.

"Hey, you look great!" She said while giving me a quick hug. I compared our outfits and I realized that I overdressed. Great.

"Thanks, you too! The food smells great." I complimented her, but I didn't want to let go of her hug.

"You can sit on the couch. I set up some bandages and alcohol for your arm. I'll get right to you r right after I turn off the stove."

I took my seat and looked around. There were pictures of her and her family near the couch. Some of them had Gustavo in the background. I smiled a little, Gustavo looked unusually too happy.

"Can you take off your shirt?"

I felt a shock in my chest. Her question caught me off guard and by looking at her, it looked like she was embarrassed too.

I started to laugh and demanded an explanation. I was actually more than happy to take off my shirt for her, but I was sure that she couldn't tell from my tone.

"Yeah uh, I can work with your hand, but if you want your arm fixed, you're gonna have to take off your shirt. Your sleeve is covering your wounds." She took her place next to me and waited for me to take off my shirt.

I nodded and unbuttoned my shirt. I wasn't wearing anything under, so my whole torso was exposed. I was pleased to see that she was eyeing me like crazy. I saw her eyes tracing my shoulders, chest, arms, and everything else that was bare. She snapped out of her trance and started working on my hand.

Her touch was delicate, like a baby's. I wanted to hold onto her hand. I wanted to surprise her by holding her beautiful hands. But I couldn't. I looked away for a short while in an attempt to control myself.

I only looked back when I felt her fingertips trace up to my arm. It tickled and I think she doing it on purpose. I saw her trying to hide a little smirk. Her eyes were focused; concentrated on my wounds. The rubbing alcohol didn't hurt as much since I already cleaned some parts of the wound in the shower. Star finished her nursing by firmly wrapping the bandage around my arm. I waited until I made eye contact for me to thank her.

She nodded once, smiled, and reached over to give me a hug. I felt her breasts rub against my chest. The sensation gave me goose bumps and I felt myself erect. Shit! My pants got tighter. After she let go, I leaned forward with my good arm, hoping that she didn't see my hard on. I filled my mind with old ladies in bikinis in an attempt for me to relax.

Star stood up and walked towards the kitchen counter and pulled up two stools.

"Hope you like pasta!" She motioned for me to come over but I waited for her to turn around before I rushed over to the counter.

I decided to leave my shirt on the couch since my bandages would make it harder to fit my arm through the sleeves. Eyeing the food, I saw that she made salad, garlic bread, and pasta. I was starved!

Dinner was great. She was great.

I know this chapter ended in a weird spot, but there's more to this chapter that I decided to put in chapter 5. So the beginning of the next chapter is just going to pick up after Carlos and Star's dinner. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, don't forget to leave some reviews! Sometimes I feel like I should stop writing when there aren't any reviews. So please, help me out! (: Thanks guys!

*BTR-TeamCarlos


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 –**

Okay remember, this is a continuation of chapter 4. It was just too long to put in the other entry. Enjoy! &Don't forget to leave reviews PLEASE(:

*BTR-TeamCarlos

We sat on the couch with our stomachs stuffed. We weren't saying anything, but the silence was nice. The only sounds we could hear were the sounds of our breathing.

When I finally thought of something to say, Star's phone started ringing. Her face quickly changed to a worried expression as I watched her read the caller ID. She turned to me to let me know that she had to take it. I let her go. Star closed the door behind her as she walked into the hallway. I was now alone in the apartment.

Hopefully there wasn't anything wrong. Five minutes passed then ten, then 15. I began to wonder if I should go out there and check on her; But if I did that, that would have been too obvious. I positioned myself so that I was laying on the couch faced up. Star really turned me on earlier. I hoped that it wouldn't become a problem and that she wouldn't notice any time soon.

I was beginning to doze off until Star burst the door open. I sat up in astonishment. Her eyes were red and flooded with tears which she quickly wiped off after realizing that I saw her.

"I'm sorry, you were sleeping huh? Go ahead and sleep, you've had a long day, you're probably tired." She said while trying to push me back down onto the couch.

I grabbed her arm and held it tight to let her know that I was concerned. I moved over and let her sit next to me. Cradling her face in my hands, I looked into her eyes and asked what happened.

Taking my hand in hers, she paused for a moment then spoke, "Dak just officially broke up with me. This whole time was just us taking space from each other. He said that he's found someone better, and he'd rather not cheat." She ended up letting go of my hand and threw her hands on her face to cover her eyes. She was balling again.

I, myself, didn't know what to say. That person Star described didn't sound like Dak. On the other hand, the only time we actually got to talk was when Katie saved him from the fans at the photo shoot and when he helped us prepare for our concert. I felt so bad for Star at the same time, I hated Dak.

I leaned forward and held her close. She clung onto me, holding me tight. Her tears were running down my chest. They were warm ticklish streams, I wanted to wipe them off so bad, but I didn't want to stop this perfect moment. Star needed someone and I was here for her. I wanted this more than anything.

She had no idea how awesome she made me feel. She made me feel so important, not like what I felt when I was with the guys. I held her closer and ran my hand through her hair. It was amazingly soft.

"Shh, it's okay." I whispered to her while continuing to brush her hair with my fingertips. I lowered my head so that my chin was placed on her head. I know I wanted her to get over Dak, but not like this.

This was the closest that Star and I had ever gotten and it was beautiful. My heart ached for her. My body begged for her. Now that I was this close, I wanted so badly to tell her that I loved her, but it was too soon. All I could do for now was just hold her in my arms; be there when she needed me too.

Just when I thought the moment couldn't get any better, she pulled away and got a drink from the kitchen. I sighed and leaned back on the couch. I closed my eyes and started to think about how good she felt against me. A few moments later, I felt her hands trail down my chest and wrap themselves around my neck.

Star was hugging me from behind. Damn, I loved how she felt against my skin. She rested her chin on my shoulders and her cheek was touching mine. We said nothing and I was still. Her warm breath trailed down my chest, giving me the chills. I was getting turned on again, and I tried so hard to control myself.

"Thank you, Carlos." Her voice was soft. Quiet and seductive. "You're great."

Dammit, she was so hot! "N-no, problem." I stuttered.

She kissed me on the cheek and I thought I went to heaven, then back. Star ran her fingers through my hair and messed it up. I could tell that she was in a playful mood now.

"You're such a good friend." She whispered in my ear. And that did it. I know she wasn't trying to sound sexy, but she was pretty damn hot! My boner came back. I quickly grabbed a pillow and covered my lap.

She tightened her grip around me and we were quiet again. I wanted to kiss her back. Just on the cheek, just a quick one. But it didn't happen. I chickened out. We continued to stay in the same position when we heard three hard bands on the door.

"Star! Star! Are you home?" A voice behind the door yelled. Unfortunately, it was a voice we knew all too well.

We both jumped up in fear as Gustavo continuously hit the door. He sounded angry.

Star turned to me with her eyes wide open. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"Where do I go?" I whispered while trying to find a place to hide. I was freaking out. If Gustavo caught me, I would be killed!

"Quick, in the bathroom!" Star shoved me in there and waited for me to lock the door. I listened quietly for her to let Gustavo in.

"Your apartment is a mess! Your kitchen isn't clean, you have first-aid kit stuff lying around, and there's a shirt on the table!" Gustavo was on a roll. My jaw dropped when I realized that the shirt Gustavo mentioned was mine.

What he said next, scared me even more. "Why does it look like you're not the only one who ate dinner? What are the bandages for? And that's a dude's shirt, last time I checked, YOU ARE NOT A DUDE!"

My prayers were answered when I heard Star explaining. She told Gustavo that Camille came over for dinner and the shirt and bandages were some props that Camille needed for an audition. She was good. Gustavo bought the lie and started talking about me, which I wish he didn't.

"I don't know if you know this, but I think Carlos has a big time crush on you." Dammit, Gustavo!

"Oh, I did not know that!" By Star's tone, I could tell that she was amused and was planning on flooding me with questions right when Gustavo leaves.

I listened some more.

"Yep, don't fall for him. You're gonna tear the whole band apart."

"Oh come on, uncle! Dak just broke up with me, so I really don't need anyone telling me who to date."

"What if I told you that Carlos has NEVER had a girlfriend and he might not know how to treat you right?"

"What if I told you that was cute?" She snapped back. I blushed at the thought of her thinking I was cute.

They kept going back and forth. Going at each other; Not exactly fighting, mostly just criticizing each other. It was pretty funny. Everything Gustavo said, she countered it. We've only known each other for about 4 days now but it felt like we've known each other for 4 years.

Gustavo didn't stay very long after their little argument. I was so anxious to get out, it was getting really annoying staying in the bathroom. I heard Gustavo say his goodbyes and I threw the bathroom door open as soon as I heard Star shut the door.

"Thanks for covering me." I said as she started walking towards me.

She threw her arms around my neck and stared at me for what seemed like a long while. She almost looked mad.

"Do you like me?" she asked.

"Of course I like you, we're best friends right?" I knew what she meant. I just chose to avoid it.

"That's not what I meant. Gustavo thinks you have a crush on me… do you?"

"Nope." I lied.

"Okay then," she let go and started walking towards the TV. "Let's watch a movie!"

I crossed my arms and smiled at her. I wanted to ask her something too, just to see what she would say. "What about you? I heard you tell Gustavo that you thought it was cute that I've never had a real girlfriend. Is that true?"

She looked at me bluntly and tried to copy my pose. "Of course, I also think it's sweet. And before you ask, yes, I think you're cute."

I felt a sharp pang in my chest from how honest she was with me. It made me feel bad because I couldn't even be honest with her. I shook the feeling off and walked towards the TV. She threw some pillows and blankets on the rug and sat down. I sat next to her, burying ourselves in the blankets. She got closer and lay on my chest as she flipped through the channels. She stopped on a comedy. It felt like she wasn't paying attention to the movie, just my heartbeat. I put my arm around her, to keep her close.

"Carlos," she spoke. "You know that what I said was true, right? It's sweet how you're never had a girlfriend because you haven't had your heart broken yet, or broken any hearts."

I didn't say anything. To be honest, I didn't even know what to say. She started tracing my stomach, then went down to my bellybutton. She really knew how to turn me on.

"I think you're cute cause you're my best friend, by the way."

I laughed and brought her closer to me. "Touché."

We lay quietly next to each other for the rest of the movie. I began feeling my eyelids droop. Star was already asleep, so I just let myself drift away into, hopefully, the same world she was in.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 –**

I awoke to the sweet smell of Star's cooking. Our morning was pleasant. I felt especially good because it was the first time I actually fell asleep next to a girl that I really liked. She seemed just fine about the whole break up with Dak which boosted up my spirits even more.

"What's you with you and Kendall?" She asked.

I pretended to be confused and told her that nothing was wrong.

"Don't give me that. I have an eye for these things!"

She was very insisting, so I told her everything there was to tell about the fight. Of course I altered things around a bit. I still wasn't ready to tell her how I felt.

"You need to apologize."

"Me? He started it!"

"I don't care, you're saying sorry and I'm coming with you." She threw me my shirt and dragged me all the way to 2J.

Star knocked on the door continuously until someone opened the door. Just my luck, it was Kendall. He eyed us both conspicuously. In the background, James and Logan were signaling things to me that looked like 'What up dude!' or 'Hey, good job bro!" They both seemed happy that I was with Star.

"Kendall, Carlos told me everything. Now… be friends!" Star pushed us closer together.

I thought the tension would never end. Kendall smiled and reached his hand out to me, and I shook it.

"Hey man, we're cool. I'm sorry." Kendall said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too." Finally, no more tension.

"Yay! See, I told you!" Star was jumping up and down. She was so full of energy.

"Thanks, Star," Kendall said. Then he turned to me, "Can I talk to you about something?"

I looked at Star first to make sure that it was okay. She gave me a hug and said that she was gonna meet up with Jo and Camille; leaving me with the guys.

James got up and shoved me playfully. "So, what did you two lovebirds do last night?"

His question caught me off guard, "How did you know I was with her?"

"Camille." Logan said smiling.

I knew there was no way out of not telling them what happened, so I told them everything there was to say.

"You understand that if Gustavo caught you we would all be in deep shit, right?" Kendall said.

"Who cares! But are you serious Gustavo told her that you liked her?" James put down his Man Fashion magazine and went hysterical.

I nodded and walked over to the orange couch and sat next to James. Even if I had an awesome night with Star, I missed the sick interiors of 2J.

"Well, you better get good at hiding your feelings; Gustavo said that Griffin wanted to have some kind of party slash festival here at the Palm Woods. He wants to emphasize how we're big shots now, that means, all the hot stars are gonna be here." Logan explained.

"No problem," I said. "But speaking of hot stars, you think she'll be into the whole 'party slash festival' thing?"

"Duh! But that means Gustavo will be there. Don't get your hopes too high." Kendall handed me a note from Gustavo. It pretty much rewarded everything the guys told me in Gustavo's terms. It said:

_CARLOS, WHERE YOU ARE, DO NOT FREAK OUT AT THE FESTIVAL.  
YOU GUYS ARE PERFORMING YOU'RE FIRST SONG WITH STAR IN FRONT  
OF EVERYONE! DO __**NOT **__MESS UP!_

Then t he thought occurred to me, I've never heard Star actually sing. Her voice could set me into space. I'm gonna have to practice not being distracted. But everything's good now, Kendall and I are okay, me and Star are best friends, nothing could go wrong. I threw away the note and relaxed.

Later we played some dome hockey. I didn't mind losing, I missed our guy time.

Sorry for the short chapter! Been having writer's block lately. Busy with school, PSAT's tomorrow. I'll make up for it in Chapter 7. It'll be longer with more events happening, so wait for it :D (Please leave reviews!)

*BTR-TeamCarlos


	7. Chapter 7

As you guys read, if you see a * at the beginning of a sentence, that means it's Star's thoughts(: and every sentence with a * at the end, means it's the end of her thoughts. I'll try it out first, then leave me reviews on what you think. Enjoy!

**BTR-TeamCarlos

**Chapter 7 –**

Practice went by smoothly today. Gustavo was in a good mood, we went over our song with Star, and Kelly was thinking of ideas for booths to set up at the festival. I had a blast singing with Star, she was so full of energy. She made practice so much more fun.

"Oh, I can't wait to see what booths we get!" I said while high fiving the guys.

"Actually…" Kelly started, "We decided to let you guys have fun and enjoy the festival."

"Yes!" we all cheered.

"BUT, I might have to leave after your guys' performance, Griffin says he's going to talk some business with me. So, I don't want you dogs to be pulling some hooliganistic tactics while I'm gone." Gustavo announced. He always had his conditions.

Star stood up and joined the conversation. "Want me to come with you?"

"No, no, just have fun. I told your mom I wouldn't work you too hard." Gustavo had a look on his face as if he was imagining what Star's mom would have done to him if he overworked Star.

After snapping out of his illusion, he let us go early so we could help set up the festival. Star stayed and helped Gustavo with the harmonies.

"Can you believe this? We're actually going to perform in front of the hottest people in Hollywood!" James said while leaning on me.

Everyone was getting ready. The stage was almost up. They just needed Logan to hook up the lights. Jo took Kendall with her for help on decorating. James and I lifted stuff around and snuck a few snacks from the food court.

It was a sunny day with a few clouds in the sky. The wind was picking up a nice breeze; The perfect day for a festival. Set up was done by 5:30, so we had 30 minutes to get ready. The festival itself was going to take up the pool area and most of Palm Woods Park so we were excited how fun it was going to be.

"What do you guys think we should wear?" Kendall asked.

"We try should match, that always looks cool." Logan suggested.

"Okay, but what about Star? Isn't she singing with us? Shouldn't she know that we're planning to match?" I was seriously crushing on her. I never worried about a girl this much before.

James patted me on the back and told me that since she was a girl, it'd be okay for her to stand out. I guess he was right. We decided to wear a white shirt, black pants and a black leather jacket with a little red. I'm not gonna lie, we looked good. We still had a little time to spare, so we hung out in the lobby. Bitters was out for the day and some lady who didn't seem to care about anything was filling in for him.

One by one, celebrities started coming through the lobby and out to the festival. I saw Gustavo turn the corner and behind him were Kelly and Star. James was right, Star would stand out, but she matched us. She was wearing a red shirt, white pants, and her shoes matched her outfit. Her hair was up in a ponytail so I got to see her pretty face.

"DOGS! Stage, now!" Gustavo ordered as he walked out the doors and towards the stage. Star didn't look at me; she just kept walking. I tried to not worry about it, we were in a rush anyway.

We took our places on stage and waited for Gustavo to tell us more. By this time, the sky was orange and peaceful. The sun was going down and it gave everything a nice autumn touch.

"Alright, there's a lot of people her now. So make this good!" Dogs, I have to leave after this, but you'll have to do another song about an hour after this. I'll leave it up to you guys to pick the song. Make sure it's awesome!"

Gustavo signaled the crew to start the music and we were on. It seemed like people were coming in waves. Everyone was cheering and clapping. I loved the rush. Star's part was after mine. Hearing her sing just took my breath away. She was an amazing performer. The crowd loved her too. All those famous faces seemed like nothing when compared to Star. She was beautiful, she could dance, and sing. She was a triple-threat. She was everything.

After the song, Gustavo congratulated us and left. I grabbed a hold of Star's arm on her way off stage. She still hasn't looked or talked to me and I was determined to break the ice.

"Hey, you were great out there!" I complimented her, hoping she'd talk to me.

She looked at me with a blank expression, "Okay. Cool. Thanks, you were great too." She turned around and tried to continue walking but I got in front of her and made her stop.

"Did I do something?" I asked.

She crossed her arms and tried to avoid eye contact with me. She looked really mad. I got closer and asked her again, "Star, did I do something?"

She looked at me but she didn't look as mad as she did a few moments ago. "You didn't even say bye, or give me a hug, or did anything to let me know you were leaving earlier. I mean, yeah, I know I was there when you guys left but… how rude can you get?"

I almost fell to the floor laughing. Was that it? Wow, she was sensitive! "Haha! I'm sorry Star!" I said laughing.

"Hey, it's not funny. You were rude." She continued to cross her arms.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Star. I won't do that again," I started to pout and pretend to beg for her mercy by getting on my knees and talking like a baby, "Pweez Star, will you eber forgive me?"

I knew it worked because she was trying not to laugh. She failed; her laugh was cute and it made me laugh too. "Okay, I forgive you. Now get up, you know I can't stay mad at you."

I stood up and gave her hug. "Well, I think we just got over our first official fight as best friends."

She smiled, "Haha, I guess. If you wanna call it that, then sure."

"Star!" Jo called out from behind one of the speakers.

My extremely good mood went down to a minimum. I was hoping to hang out with Star during the next hour before we had to sing again. She wasn't going to perform with us, so I was afraid I was going to miss her too much. She told me she'd see me later and ran off towards Jo. I let go of a breath that I seemed to be holding as I watched her walk away from me. I just wanted to hold her and never let her go.

The guys and I walked around for a bit, we mostly ate. I had my usual corn dogs and we all grabbed some slushy's for The 2nd Annual Big Time Rush Brain Freeze off. It was the same result as last time, we were all on the floor within seconds trying to make the undeniable chill go away.

"Man, that was fun," I said. "We need a third round another time."

James laughed and flipped his hair, "Oh we will my friend, we will."

"So, what song do you guys wanna do next?" Kendall said while grabbing a chair and sitting down. We followed his lead.

I looked around at their puzzled faces. I was fine with whatever song they chose. All I could think about were Star, Corn Dogs, and Brain Freezes. We eventually came over with an agreement on Big Night. We figured it'd set the mood for a fun festival.

It was darker now, and pretty soon the whole scene would be filled with lights from the stage and the booths. I loved how the stage was right in front of the pool, it's not every day you get a pool audience.

The guys ran off to dunk Buddha Bob, in the bucket of shame. It was one of those game where you throwing something at a target to dunk the guy sitting on the platform. I continued to walk around, telling them that I wanted another corn dog, when really, I was interested in finding Star.

I searched for about 10 minutes, but I soon gave up, telling myself it was hopeless and that she was probably over at the Palm Woods Park, riding one of the rides. I stopped and leaned on one side of the booths and looked around for a bit, waiting for our next performance.

Suddenly, I felt a kiss on my cheek. I freaked out to find that it was Star who kissed me. I felt an amazing rush go through my chest.

"Woah, what was… why'd you… uh?" I stuttered. I couldn't find the right words to say. I was so dumbfounded.

"Well, you cut in front of the whole line, which is now leaving, and I figured if you wanted a kiss that bad where you didn't even pay and make this booth not raise money… well, why not?"

"Kiss? Who said I wanted a kiss?"

She laughed and pointed at the sign next to her. It read:

_**Kissing Booth  
$0.50**_

I freaked out again. A kissing booth? Why was she in a kissing booth? I looked at her full of shock, I still couldn't figure out the right words to say.

"Uh, are you okay?" She started waving her hand at my face. I guess, I wasn't blinking.

"Uh… um… are thought you were with Jo," I spat out, "Why are you here?"

"I was, but she felt bad about being in a kissing booth because you know how she's with Kendall and all. So, I told her I'd do it since I'm not really with anyone at the moment. Plus, it's not like I'll be kissing anyone on the lips anyway, it's just on the cheek… why do you ask?"

Crap, why does she keep getting me off guard? I tried to think of an explanation quickly, "I… uh… oh, no reason… haha… no reason…"

I was interrupted by another voice, "Hey, why does he get a free kiss?" It was Dak. I looked back at Star and she was no longer and in a good mood. Her eyes were fixed and she got pale. I immediately didn't like where this was going.

"Dak, you're here." She said.

Dak got closer to her, completely singling me out. Star glanced over at me and I gave her a little smile, letting her know it was okay. It really wasn't okay, but what could I do? I stepped back a little and just listened to what I could here.

"So, what's up?" Star said. She was really nervous; she couldn't stop playing with her hands.

"Nothing, just came because I thought it would be fun. I didn't know you lived here now. You liking it here?"

She looked over at me, then back at Dak before he could notice. "Yeah, I like it here. The people are really great."

I saw Dak look at me from the corner of his eye. "Really? People like who?" He moved a little closer. Feeling uncomfortable, she took a step back.

"Hey, Dak, I gotta get back to the booth. So…"

"So, find anyone of your interest? Do you happen to be crushing on anyone?"

"No, I…"

That's all I wanted to hear, I felt a painful pang in my chest. I heard too much of something that I wasn't even supposed to be listening too. I waited for them to bring the conversation on longer, but I wasn't listening. I just didn't want it to look obvious that I was bothered by what she said. Star glanced over at me again, and I waved her good bye. She'd be okay… she was with Dak.

"Carlos!" Camille called out from the stage, "Hurry! You guys are up!"

I rushed over to the stairs and onto the stage. The guys were already getting ready. James asked me where I was but I told him not to worry about it. Logan through me the mic and Kendall signaled the music. The stage lit up with bright lights and the crowd came in waves again. The lights were sporadic; it made us feel like we were on top of the world. People even sang with us.

Near the end of the song, I was able to actually look at the crowd. I saw Star near the pool singing along with us. At least she was happy. I gave the concert my all, and I was glad that she was watching. She saw me looking at her and I smiled. Her smile seemed to stick out from all the others. I looked around some more and saw that Dak was heading for her.

I tried not to think about them until we finished the song. As we stood there for the encore, I saw him and Star arguing. She was standing there calmly while he looked like he was talking smack. He was waving his arms around and it looked like he was raising his voice. I waited eagerly for the crowd to stop cheering, I wanted to go over and help her so badly. Then it went too far.

She snapped back at him and he pushed her into the pool. I dropped my mic and ran off stage. Dak was gone by the time I got to her and someone had already helped her out from the pool. She was soaked and the wind was making her even colder. I took off my jacket and handed it to her. A couple of geeks started laughing and she ran away in tears.

The guys caught up to me; confused at what was happening. I was so angry, and upset, and worried… I had no idea what exactly what I was feeling. But all these emotions were piling up inside me and I just wanted to let it all out on Dak.

"Hey man, we'll find Dak. Go find Star." James announced, and they were off.

I ran towards the direction Star went. She couldn't have gotten far. I knew all I had to look for was a girl in my leather jacket who happened to be really wet. It was harder than I thought. There were just so many people. I called her out her name multiple times but every time I did, someone would look at me and give me that 'Why are you yelling?' face.

I finally found her behind the petting fence. She was sitting on a hay bale, sobbing. I felt so bad that I almost thought about crying with her.

"Star," I asked as I got closer. "Are you alright?" I kneeled down in front of her so we were face to face. Her face was red from all the crying and her hair was still dripping wet.

She turned away, not wanting to make eye contact.

"Star, please talk to me. What happened?"

She finally looked at me but we just stared at each other. My heart felt that wanting again and I wanted to stop it so I asked her again what happened.

"Dak and I got in a fight. It got to be too much, and that's when he pushed me."

"Still, that doesn't mean he can hurt you like that. Are you hurt anywhere? Are you cold? I can get you a towel." I was freaking out. As soon as I was about to get up she grabbed my arm and I got back down. Her smile took my breath away.

"Carlos, I'm fine. It's just my luck I guess. I should just take a break from guys. Love's been hard for me. It seems like I'll never find a guy who'll love me back."

I sat next to her to avoid the tension that was going to come with what I was going to tell her next. I had to tell her, it was now or never. I couldn't let her think that no one loves her. I love her.

"Star, that's not exactly true." I said.

She looked at me confused. This time, I was the one avoiding eye contact. "What are you talking about?"

"Star… I… I love you." There, I said it. Hopefully she wouldn't run away from me.

She didn't say anything at first. I felt like a turd, I wanted to take it all back. I stared at the ground and waited for her silence to be broken.

She laughed, "I love you too, Carlos."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This was awesome! I turned to her smiling, but before I could hug her, she said something else. "Of course I love you, Carlos, you're my best friend."

That's when my whole world came crashing down. I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces as I sank into a bottomless pit of despair. I felt that sharp painful pang that people usually get when rejected. Only, this was a million times worse. I smiled at her to mask my pain. She smiled back, held onto my arm and laid her head on my shoulder. I held back tears as they burned my eyes.

*I knew exactly what he meant. In fact, I was extremely happy when he told me he loved me. That's what I was waiting to hear all last night. I just… I just couldn't get the courage to tell him I felt the same way. I didn't want him thinking that he was just a rebound… because he wasn't. I really did care about him. I know I hurt him… and I felt horrible for that.*

SO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK! LEAVE SOME REVIEWS! (Preferably long ones) (: Please, tell your friends about my story, I need more reviews haha!

**BTR-TeamCarlos


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 –**

*Carlos was really sweet and last night, he made me feel like the happiest girl in the world. He offered me his heart, but I threw it back. 'I love you too, Carlos.' Why can't I say that? 'I love you too.'

We're okay. But every time we see each other, I know he's hurting. It's just in the way he moved. He smiled, but his eyes contrasted it. He hugged me, but his heart wanted to push me away.

_I'm sorry, Carlos. I love you and I'm sorry_.*

"Dude, why you so down?"

"I told her I loved her. She took it differently and said she loved me too."

"Well, alright! What's so bad about that?" Kendall said while giving me a pat on the back.

"She said she loved me because I was her best friend. She totally misunderstood." I replayed last night's scene in my head. Although, I shouldn't have because I was hurting 10 times worse now.

Kendall sighed and looked at me. I wasn't facing him, but I could feel his stare penetrating through my skin. Finally, he spoke, "Maybe… you should go for a walk. I mean, with her. I'm no expert, but if I wanted to tell Jo something, I'd tell her through a nice girl picnic and a walk in the park."

His idea wasn't half bad. But how was I ever going to tell her again? Last night seemed like the perfect time. It was almost like she'd set me up. She's really taken the energy out of me. I couldn't even screw around with the guys like I used too.

Kendall left for his day with Jo and I was alone. The jacket I put around Star was right next to me. It was still a little wet, but I didn't care. I stuffed my face into it to try and back off tears. I couldn't control it this time. Rivers ran down my cheeks. It'd taken my all to tell her I loved her and she misunderstood. I also knew that there was always the option that she did understand but she just wanted to stay friends. That idea hurt even more.

I went to the bathroom and splashed water on my face. I was a mess. There were bags under my eyes and I had signs of fatigue. There was nothing left to lose now, I took out my phone and texted her. I'm going to try one more time, to make things right.

I saw her for the first time today, and like always, she took my breath away. She'd brought her own picnic basket and we left straight for the park after rehearsal. I was glad the walk there wasn't awkward.

*He was so adorable. We walked to the park with a conversation full of laughter. I loved his smiles the one where he just grins… it kills me. And the one where he would just give a crooked smile… it shocked me. I thought it was funny seeing him overdressed. He was wearing a black tie, a blue shirt, and a black blazer, cleverly designed to look like a regular jacket. He offered to carry me across the street since the cars were zooming by. I just laughed at him. He was such a sweetheart.*

"You think this is a good place to stop?" I said while stopping under a tree. We were basically having dinner. Practice took most of the day and it was already dark out.

"Yeah, I think this is good." She sat down and pulled out the blanket and lay it on the grass.

She had packed sandwiches and some pudding. It got messy. Well… I got messy. Star got a napkin and wiped my face. I looked away, I didn't want to put myself at any risk for anymore pain by looking at her. There was still some pudding on my mouth but before I could wipe it Star turned my face towards her and wiped it off. I thought she was done, but she looked straight at me in a dazed look.

"Star?" I asked.

She didn't answer. Instead, she leaned forward, and I swear I felt my heart and crotch explode! The touch of her sweet lips against mine was amazing. Something that I could never imagine. She took my face in her hands and brought me closer. I kissed her back, holding her by the waist and pulling her closer. Then I realized something.

This was too much. Too many unexplained feelings were rushing through my thoughts and body. The kiss was great, but I was too confused to enjoy it any longer. I pulled away and saw that she'd startled herself too. I was breathing heavily, still trying to absorb what just happened. Looking straightforward, I was able to catch my breath and think a little more. She noticed my anxiety and quickly started to explain herself.

"I… I'm sorry…" she stuttered. *What the heck did I just do?*

"Well… that was… different." I joked to try and please myself. But obviously, it wasn't the right time. I changed my outlook on the situation to a more serious one. "Uh… okay… what was that for?"

After a few seconds of not hearing her say anything, I looked at her to make sure she'd heard me. She was looking down, as if she was ashamed of something. Then it hit me. She lied to me last night. She made me go through all that pain over something that wasn't even true. But I had to make sure. "Star? Was what you told me last night… was that a lie?"

She nodded once while still looking down. I didn't know whether too be mad or understanding. My mind seemed to be failing. I had no idea what to say next.

"Please don't take it the wrong way! I only lied to you about it because I didn't want you to feel like a rebound." She started to panic after seeing me look away in discomfort.

This was unbelievable. I turned around and snapped at her. "So you decided to hurt me instead? Why, was it because I came off as stupid to you? Did I come off as a vulnerable target? Star… it took so much out of me just to tell you I love you and you… you pretended like it was nothing. I thought I could… I thought I could trust you Star…"

She fought back her tears , but not for long. She looked down and repeatedly apologized. I wanted to forgive her… I really did. But it just wasn't in me at the moment.

I hugged her. Keeping her close, I tightened my embrace. I was still angry, but I didn't like seeing her cry. "It's getting late… I should take you home." My voice was dead. We took a cab home, I wasn't in the mood for a walk.

*I've never seen him so mad… he sat in the front seat and I was in the back. I saw his face in the side view mirror and he looked devastated. It was almost like he wasn't the same exuberant Carlos anymore. He wasn't.*

The walk to her apartment was quiet. I had nothing more to say to her. When we got to the front of her door, I gave her a quick one armed hug and walked away. All I said was, "I'll see you whenever." I didn't even look at her. She started tearing again when I ignored her "good night". It wasn't a good night.

**Thank you for all you new subscribers! I'm sort of expecting more reviews please. I need to know how I long I should keep the story! Please send in the reviews! &spread the story, help me find new subscribers! Thaaank you! (:

-BTR-TeamCarlos


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 –**

I've missed 3 days of practice. The guys told me that they were okay with me not going; they said Gustavo just blended some of my old vocals into some of the new tracks. But just because the guys were okay, didn't mean that Gustavo was happy.

I was getting a snack ready when I heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" I called.

"It's us! Open the door, we need to fix you!" It was Jo and Camille. I wasn't worried about Star being with them since I knew she was at the studio with the other guys.

"Guys, I don't need any 'fixing', I'm perfectly fine… Ahhh!" Jo and Camille weren't alone. Freight Train was with them and I ran for my life.

I should have known better not to run away. He eventually caught up to me and gave me one of his notorious squeezes. "Freight Train, let me go!"

"Sorry, Carlos." Camille apologized.

"We wanted you to be happy again!" Jo said.

Freight Train threw me over his shoulder and carried me all the way to the studio. Usually, I'd enjoy this but I knew he was taking me under the same roof as Star. I waved goodbye to Jo and Camille as they yelled another apology down the hall.

"Man, what's wrong with you? You're never here." Freight Train said while putting me down just in front of Gustavo's office.

"I'm fine, dude."

Freight Train shook his head. "Actually, Gustavo knows it's about Star. He's waiting for you in there." He pointed at the beast's dwelling.

I went in and took a seat. His shades were dark but I could tell he was giving me one of his crazy stares. His arms were crossed and his nostrils were flared.

"Hey, Gustavo! How… how's it going? Haha!" I hoped that if I took lightly of the situation, he'd calm down a little. I was wrong.

He stood up and started pacing around the room. "Let's see, you disobeyed me and now you're ditching rehearsal. I don't know Carlos, why don't you tell me how's it going? Oh wait, better yet, let me ask you something. Was I right?"

"About what?"

"If you fell for her, the band would fall apart!" He yelled.

"Yeah, but Gustavo, we're not falling apart. I just need some time off." I explained.

"Griffin isn't going to wait, Carlos. He doesn't care how heartbroken you are, all he cares about is making money."

Before I could say anything else, Star came in the room breathing heavily. She looked like she was in a rush to get here. "Uncle, stop! Don't yell at him. This is my entire fault… I led him on."

Damn right it was. I found myself agreeing with her every time she said it was her fault. She did lead me on. Gustavo massaged his temples and took a deep breath. But as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, Freight Train came in and yelled that were was a fire in the coffee room. Gustavo ran out first and Freight Train blocked us from following.

"There's no fire. I bought you guys some time to get out of here and fix whatever is goin' on. I'll cover for you guys."

Star thanked him and we ran out. We didn't stop running until we reached the very same spot in the park where we kissed. I don't think she noticed. I collapsed on the floor trying to catch my breath. I was faced down with my eyes closed but I felt Star sit next to me. Figured that I'd have to thank her for saving me from Gustavo so I turned around only to see her already looking at me.

"Thanks for saving me back there." I said, sitting up.

"Are you still mad at me?"

I thought deeply about it first before I could answer. "It depends. I'd have to know your story first."

"You know the day I told you that you were my inspiration? I was basically telling you that I had a little crush on you." She explained.

I nodded once, still unsure if I wanted to forgive her or not. I didn't even know if she really knew the reason why I snapped at her the other day. I thought she wouldn't be like other people – taking me lightly and all – but she ended up being the same. She hid her feelings from me because she was afraid I wasn't going to be able to take it.

"So, when you didn't get my hint, I sort of did whatever I could to make it obvious. But after that whole thing with Dak, I realized that I didn't want you ending up as a rebound. So… yeah. I really like you, Carlos."

I stared at her long and hard contemplating on my decision. She'd looked like all hope was lost after a few minutes of me being silent. She put her hand to my shoulder and it unleashed a blast of uneasiness in me. She still had the ability to give me butterflies. I guess I shouldn't hold it against her… after all, she was really just trying to look out for me.

Leaning over, I gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled and we lay in the grass. We were both calmer now, the damage was done, and we've fixed up most of it. All that was left was Gustavo. I hoped that it'd be easy to get past. The was the last thing on my mind right now, I was too caught up in the moment that Star was actually my girlfriend now. I didn't think it'd get this far, but I damn sure enjoyed it. She dozed off as I ran my fingers through her hair and I whispered to myself, "I love you, Star."

** Reviews please! (: Thank you guys for your support!

BTR-TeamCarlos


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 –**

"Okay, I think I have a plan to tell Gustavo about us."

"What is it? I said sitting up. We were alone in 2J and we had too much time on our hands. We ended up making out through most of it. I thought it was really nice.

She tired her hair back and continued to talk, "Gustavo already knows we're together, so that part's done. All we need is for him to just leave us alone. This isn't really a plan but I'll just make him accept the fact we're together."

I looked at her like she was crazy. It was almost impossible to 'make' Gustavo do anything you wanted to do. "The only way you'd get what you want was to do a lot of stupid things until he breaks."

Star nodded enthusiastically, "Exactly!"

There was something in my guy telling me that it wasn't a good idea. I guess my feelings showed on my face because she immediately started reassuring me. "Look, I'll kiss you in front of him, we'll hold hands, I'll sit on your lap, do all that PDA stuff until he gets super annoyed."

"And what if he doesn't?"

"You'll have to get me pregnant."

I stood up with my mouth propped open. "What?"

She just started laughing and wrapped her arms around my neck. Okay, I think it was safe to say that she was a little crazy.

"Relax. I'm just kidding. It won't get to that point. Trust me. Gustavo will break way before we even actually think about sex." She said kissing me.

Too late. I was already fantasizing. The thought of her naked body on mine made me wish that Gustavo drove us to that point. My fantasies went a little too far and I felt my crotch starting to harden and the fact that Star was now kissing my neck didn't help. I pushed her away.

"Okay, I believe you," I said. "Let's go."

We caught up with the guys at the pool. They were on their usual loungers.

Logan got up and greeted us first. "So, have you guys thought of a way to tell Gustavo that you wanted to die pleasantly?"

"Actually," Star said poking him on the chest. "We're gonna make him like us."

Kendall and James started laughing, "Good luck with that!"

"Uh, Star?" Logan said. "Look over there."

We all turned around saw a crowd of girls huddling up by the entrance. Bitters was going crazy and was having a hard time calming them down. Star walked closer and stopped as soon as she found out who the girls were going crazy for.

"It's Dak." She mumbled.

I put on my helmet and held her hand to try and comfort her. I wasn't planning on starting a fight, but if it led to one, I would. Dak caught sight of Star and started walking over to us. It seemed like I was the one that was more nervous. Star didn't even move while I was sweaty and fidgety.

Dak eyed our hands and I held her tighter. He disregarded it, "Star, I've changed my mind. I've decided to forgive you. You can come back now."

"What do you mean you forgive me?" I didn't do anything. And no, I won't come back." She looked at me and smiled. Then she looked back at Dak, "I've moved on."

Dak seemed startled but then started laughing. "Don't joke like that. But no offense to Carlos, I know you wouldn't fall for him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I was heating up.

"You're a huge train wreck. You eat like there's no tomorrow, you wear a stupid helmet, and you don't even know what's going on half the time."

Kendall came over and joined in, "Hey Dak, I thought we were all friends here?"

Then James came, "Yeah, if the little lady doesn't like you, then move on, dude."

And then Logan, "Yep, and don't talk about Carlos like that."

Dak ignored them and kept his focus on me. Star broke our stares by stepping in front of me. "Dak, we don't want a fight. Just leave."

"Get out of the way." He said while shoving her off to the side.

"Hey, back off!" I yelled as I pushed him.

Dak landed a few punches, but I landed twice as much. Kendall, James, and Logan joined in too. There was no way he could win.

James rammed Dak into a table, knocking over some of the food that was already on it. I went for a body slam but before I could land it, Dak sliced my arm with a knife from the table. It wasn't a big cut, but it was deep. I yelped in pain. It hurt like hell.

"Carlos1" I heard Star scream.

As Dak was getting up, I also managed to catch him off guard. I used to of my helmet to head butt him. He threw his hands at his nose and let out a painful groan. I think I broke his nose.

Bitters came out and stopped the fight. "Hey, hey, hey! What's going on here?"

Dak eyed us and said no more. Gasping his nose, he made a run for it.

"Look at this mess! What happened? Look at your arm! You're bleeding!" Bitters whined.

"We know, sir. My uncle will pay for the damage, but can I please borrow a first-aid kit? He's hurt bad…"

Bitters handed her the kit and we walked to her apartment. My arm was bleeding bad. "Star, don't worry I'm fine."

"Carlos, you shouldn't have been in that fight."

"Yeah, but he shoved you."

"And now you're hurt. What if he cut you somewhere else? I already can't forgive myself for letting you get hurt, but if it was critical… Carlos, I'm sorry."

"Don't need to be. I'm fine." I said kissing her on the cheek.

She fixed up my arm and made us something to eat. I kept thinking about the fight. Dak didn't seem like an asshole when we first met. But I guess people change.

"So Gustavo's gonna pay for everything huh?" I said while sitting on the couch.

"Yeah, he won't be happy."

"Star, let's just talk to him. I don't want to prolong this. He has to let us be together."

"First thing tomorrow?" She asked while laying on my shoulder.

"Yeah… first thing tomorrow."

** The story will be ending soon in the next couple of chapters. I'm planning to work on another story that is not a fanfic. But it's gonna be on . I'll give you guys links when the first chapter is up. But please send in some reviews for this chapter! (:

Oh and if you guys have tumblrs, I co-own .com so FOLLOW! (: It's a site just for Carlos Pena of BTR3 My name on there is Charlos.

BTR-TeamCarlos


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